Spectacular slopes

“The mountains are mute masters who make for silent pupils,” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once wrote. What humility would the German poet and nature lover have felt at the sight of 5200-meter-tall Vinicunca? Layers of different minerals have created the many different colors that give rise to its byname, Rainbow Mountain. Tours to Vinicunca are available from flashpackerconnect.com, but be warned, the trek isn’t easy. Although, had he ever made it as far as Peru, the great Goethe would surely not have been put off.

Getting there

Lufthansa flies daily from Frankfurt (FRA) to Bogotá (BOG) in August. Continue on to ­Cuzco (CUZ) with Star Alliance partner ­Avianca. In Cuzco, the fit and hardy can book one- to six-day treks into the mountains.